Heartland mother says legalization of medical marijuana gives hope to children with cancer

CAPE GIRARDEAU, MO (KFVS) - As a result of the November 6 midterm elections in Missouri, Amendment 2 passed and legalized medical marijuana.

Amy Aldridge, a Cape Girardeau mother, said she would have moved mountains to give her daughter, Sahara, relief from cancer treatments and wishes she had medical marijuana as an option to do so.

“If my daughter were here, she would be excited to share this news to tell everybody there’s hope going forward. Maybe somebody wouldn’t have to suffer like she did,” said Aldridge.

Aldridge said her daughter Sahara had a heart for others and giving spirit. But, after a 17-month battle with cancer, she passed away at just 13-years-old.

“If you’re a parent watching your child and you can’t fix it, you’re going to do anything you can to try and help," said Aldridge. “Because you would take that burden on yourself in a heart beat just to get it off the back of your child.”

Aldridge said she did everything she could to help Sahara with extreme nausea from treatments.

“It’s brutal to watch your child suffer with very little relief from those symptoms,” said Aldridge.

So, that’s why she supports the legalization of medical marijuana in Missouri.

“Why not. Why not," said Aldridge. “Why wouldn’t you give somebody the opportunity to not be so sick and not to feel so bad and not to suffer so much. If you could quell that nausea, that’s a quality of life issue. Cancer’s not going away unless we find a way to cure it. And until we cure it, we have to find ways to deal with it."

In honor of Sahara, Aldridge said she will advocate for anything that helps both kids and adults with cancer.

“And on behalf of all parents who have children facing these treatments right now, this gives hope to help deal with what’s an awful diagnosis to be given,” said Aldridge.

Now that Amendment 2 passed, Aldridge also said she’s looking forward to seeing what can be done with medical marijuana to help cancer patients and the research that will come along with it.

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